


Could You Imagine; First Draft

by FebruaryFun



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abuse, Also Patton works at a clothing store, Alternate Universe - Human, Chapter length will be inconsistent by the way, Death Threats, First time using AO3!, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), I have no idea where I'm going with this, If it's not angst it's super fluffy, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It was either that or a coffee shop, Kidnapping, Knowing me every other chapter is going to be angsty, Platonic Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Platonic Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Possibly Remy and Emile at some point?, Possibly panic attacks in the future?, i will edit these tags as i go, i'm not sure, identity theft, still a work in progress, yay!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2019-06-12 23:58:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 19,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15351675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FebruaryFun/pseuds/FebruaryFun
Summary: Everyone has their own 'imirage;' a being that represents their imagination in a physical form. Having the imagination there as a presence heightens a person's creative abilities and helps keep the imirage healthy. They don't need much, just to get out and be exposed to new ideas every once in a while. For most people that's easy, but Logan is a bit of a shut in. He has mild social anxiety, resulting in a very shy imirage. His name is Virgil, and while he's comfortable enough when Logan is alone, he'll fight tooth and nail to stay unmanifested when others are around. Logan doesn't get out enough as it is, let alone convince Virgil to come out in public. However, when Logan starts spending more time with a certain clothing store employee, he starts to think about taking better care of Virgil- possibly with the help of the employee's own imirage.





	1. This Computer Programer Listened to Too Many Emo Bands as a Child

Logan woke up to the soft chime of his cell phone, ringing insistently. He sighed and reached for his glasses, putting them on and glancing at the clock before answering his phone. "Valerie, what in the world are you calling about past midnight?"

Valerie was one of Logan's coworkers, responsible for managing the designs of the pages the project team put out. She sounded wound up, like she'd been up all night drinking coffee. "I'm so sorry! Just... could you do me a really huge favor?" Logan answered in the affirmative, and Valerie continued. "I don't know what I was thinking, she convinced me to do a neon color scheme, and it looks awful but I'm so tired and I have a meeting in the morning and-"

Logan cut her off gently. "By 'her' I'm assuming you mean your imirage." An imirage is a physical manifestation of the imagination, normally taking the form of another person. They're incredibly low maintenance beings, and having them physically with you can help heighten your creative abilities. Logan didn't normally need to summon his own, but he tried to keep his imirage healthy. Maybe this was something he would like to join him on. "I understand. I will manage the issue, you get some rest."

Valerie sighed in relief on the other end of the line. "Thank you Logan. I owe you one!"

Logan hung up and stood, going over to his desk and turning on his laptop. After pulling up the page Valerie had been working on, he swiveled his chair to face the rest of his room. "Virgil?"

A dark, huddled up figure appeared in the middle of Logan's bed. Logan wasn't trying to neglect him, but he struggled to find a compromise between his work life and Virgil's needs. As a result, the imirage looked a little worse for wear. He was thin and pale, a mess of brown hair falling into his face. His clothes were simple and worn- a black t-shirt, a black and grey hoodie, and grey sweatpants. When Logan was young Virgil had worn makeup, but all that was left of that now was a dark smudge of eyeshadow under his eyes. He wasn't exactly healthy, as far as imirages go, but he didn't complain that much. "What's up nerd?"

Logan moved aside and motioned for Virgil to join him by the desk. "Design issue, should be a quick fix. I was hoping for your assistance."

"Ugh, work." Virgil got up and wandered over to the desk. "What's the damage?" He grimaced when he saw the neon-against-neon color scheme. "I'm going to have a seizure if I try to read that. Just change it to grey against white, that's always a safe choice."

Logan shook his head. "Simple, but boring." He could feel his mind spark with ideas in Virgil's presence, it was very helpful. "How about... dark brown against a creme color? Easy on the eyes, but won't put you to sleep..." He got back to work without waiting for Virgil to answer. Virgil rolled his eyes and vanished, knowing he wasn't needed any longer now that Logan had a plan in mind. Logan was no fun anymore.

 

Logan was exhausted the next morning, having only gotten a few hours of sleep after finishing his work. First order of business, coffee. He went to the kitchen and found Virgil already perched on the table. He wasn't surprised, he'd expected this. "Good morning, Virgil." He walked past him to the coffee maker, heating up some water.

"Hey genius." Virgil watched him tensely. "It's a Saturday."

"Astute observation." Logan contemplated getting a new coffee maker. His coffee had been turning out almost luke-warm lately.

"That means you're going shopping today."

Logan measured out coffee grounds into the filter. "Correct."

"Your list says you have to get a new tie."

"Yes, I have lost or ruined several. I need more than one tie if I can afford them."

"Which means we have to go clothes shopping."

"Yes."

"In a store."

"Yes."

"Where you might want my advice."

"That is what clothes shopping entails. What point are you trying to make?" Logan turned around and looked at Virgil, leaning against the counter.

Virgil growled in frustration. "Why can't you just buy your clothes online?! If you summon me in the store, people might judge you based what I look like. In case you haven't noticed, I look like an emo nightmare! I mean, I'm not complaining, but it's not exactly professional..."

Logan sighed. "I recognise your concerns, but we've been over this before. Many people's imirages don't look like them. You will not be out of place in the store. Now I'm going to get ready to head out. If you're really that concerned about your appearance, change it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet Logan and Virgil! I'll update this when I can, if you see a mistake or something that needs to be tagged, feel free to tell me! I'll be happy to fix it!


	2. Logan Argues With Himself Over the Color of a Tie

Logan got dressed in his usual attire, a dark polo shirt and khaki slacks. He would normally wear a tie, but seeing as that was what he was shopping for, he decided to forego the garment just this once. Virgil hadn’t bothered him since that morning, which was an improvement based on previous attempts to go shopping in public. Logan honestly just wanted to get out of the house. He was struck with an image of someone coming by and attempting to break into his apartment and made sure the door was locked as he left. “Thank you, Virgil.” He walked down the stairs. He thought about calling a cab, but the thought of awkward conversations with a cab driver or an Uber made him shudder. He turned and walked towards the nearest Jos. A. Bank.

Logan walked into the store, nodding politely to an employee who greeted him. He went over to the ties and was immediately overwhelmed by the selection. “Virgil?” Nothing. He tried again, firmer. “Virgil.”

Virgil appeared grudgingly, hiding in his hoodie and glancing over the selection. He pointed to an almost royal purple tie with tiny white dots. “That one.”

Logan rolled his eyes. “You know purple isn’t my color.”

“Well you can’t have black and navy blue everything! Ugh, you’re so boring! I don’t even know why you want me here, you obviously don’t really want my input.” Virgil crossed his arms, looking as if he wanted to flee. He was uncomfortable, but Logan didn’t see why that had to make him difficult.

“Hello! I couldn’t help but notice some difficulty over here. I’ve come to help!” An imirage walked up to Logan and Virgil, most likely belonging to an employee here. He wore a regal outfit and his hair looked like it had been perfectly dyed red on top. “What may I do for you?”

Virgil immediately shrank back towards Logan, intimidated by the obviously superior imagination. Logan gently put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m looking for a tie. I normally get a black or navy blue one, but Virgil insists I add a bit of color to my wardrobe. Could you help us find something that would work as a good compromise?”

“Of course!” The flamboyant imirage practically radiated creative energy as he looked over the selection, happy to be of help. He acted like he didn’t even see Virgil. “Hmm… I know! How about this?” He offered a black tie with stripes of blue and and almost silver grey. “It would look amazing on you!” His entire form shifted, his features became sharper like Logan’s. His white uniform turned black and his sash mimicked the pattern of the tie. “A perfect look!”

Logan nodded, impressed. Even when imirages were healthy, it took a lot to shift their forms so willingly. This one seemed to be healthy and strong. He took the tie as the being changed back to its resting form. “Thank you. May I inquire who you are? And who you are associated with?”

The imirage nodded. “My name’s Roman! And the man you’re looking for is Patton Moray.” Roman cupped his hands around his mouth and turned away from Logan. “PATTON! A CUSTOMER WANTS TO SPEAK TO YOU!” 

Logan flinched and Virgil hissed. “Watch it, Princey!” Roman looked mildly offended, looking at Virgil like he was a mean stray cat. 

Logan ignored Virgil’s comment and instead directed his attention towards a figure headed their way. A young man in a pale blue polo shirt walked up to them, an employee name tag clipped to his chest. “Hiya! My name’s Patton, how may I help you?” Logan met the slightly shorter man’s eyes and couldn’t help noting the baby blue color, brought out so well by the soft blond hair that fell around his face. The employee- Patton- had a dusting of freckles over his body and a smile that lit up the whole room. 

Logan was snapped out of his daze by a harsh elbow in the side from Virgil. “Are you gonna answer him or not?”

“Aww, now that’s not very nice kiddo!” Patton smiled at Virgil, softening a bit when he saw his tense posture. “You must be this nice man’s imirage. May I ask your names?”

“Logan,” Logan blurted out. “A-and you are correct, this is my imirage, Virgil. I was actually simply going to compliment you on the strength and ability of your imagination. He helped me pick out a tie, and by extension, you did. So… thank you, both.” He didn’t normally ramble, but he found it hard to stop speaking once he started. Patton flushed and smiled brightly at the compliment, Logan couldn’t help noticing how his heart melted at that look.

“Aww, thank you! Good job Roman!” Patton hugged Roman, then turned back to Logan and Virgil. “Well, I can check you out if you’d like, or if you’d like to keep shopping I could hold that up at the counter so you guys don’t have to hold onto it!” Logan went with the first option, seeing as he had nothing left to buy. Patton was very chatty at the checkout, and Logan found he didn’t really mind.

Roman eyed Virgil, thoughtful. Virgil glared at him across the checkout. “What are you looking at?!”

Roman took a half step back. “No need to snap at me, Brendon Ur-a-hot-mess. I was just thinking, you insisted that Logan get something with a splash of color, but you have almost no color on you at all!”

Virgil shrugged. “I don’t get out that often, I don’t have as much energy as others.”

Roman considered Virgil for a moment, then smiled and offered his hand. “Do you trust me?”

“What?” Virgil eyed him suspiciously. “No, I don’t. Back off.”

Roman sighed, briefly mourning an overlooked Aladin reference before turning his attention back to the emo at hand. “I’m just offering, maybe I could give you some of my energy! Then you could add that splash of color you’re looking for.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. Imirages could transfer energy between each other, but it involved a level of trust and a certain level of intimacy that Virgil did not have with a complete stranger after five minutes. “No! I’m fine. Back off, geez.” The two beings didn’t talk to each other during the rest of the exchange between Logan and Patton.

 

Logan found himself reluctant to leave the store, but Patton was called away to help another customer and Logan couldn't come up with an excuse to hang around any longer. As soon as he got back to his apartment, Virgil manifested on the couch. “So… How about that Patton guy, huh? You practically had little cartoon hearts around your head. I think my teeth started to rot.”

Logan blushed, but said nothing, choosing to just ignore what Virgil was insinuating. “Thank you for your assistance today, Virgil. I’m going to make some lunch and possibly reread a book, would you care to hang around?” Virgil shrugged and vanished, which Logan took as a no. He thought about how vibrant Roman had been, and other imirages he’d seen on the walk too and from home. Even the simpler ones had some sort of element of the fanatical about them. He frowned to himself. Perhaps he needed to start taking better care of Virgil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another chapter! I'm still experimenting with this little world, but at least now all our characters are on the table. Once again, if you see a mistake of any kind, or something that needs to be tagged, LET ME KNOW! I'm always happy to fix my mistakes!


	3. Logan Just Wanted to Buy Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan evaluate's Virgil's health, then goes to the store and runs into an acquaintance. I HAVE ADDED TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR ABUSE MENTION, DEATH MENTION, AND ILLNESS AS OF THIS CHAPTER. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS AND STAY SAFE!

"Why didn't you get his number?! That nerd was so flipping cute!" Roman leaned over the counter, smiling. Patton blushed, closing up the register. "C'mon Ro, he was way out of my league."

Roman scoffed. "No one is out of the league of the great Patton Moray, and his beautiful sidekick, Roman!" A few shoppers smiled at Roman's antics, Patton giggled. Roman smiled and continued. "I mean it! There isn't a man in the world who wouldn't be lucky to have you." 

“Well, I didn’t ask him so I won’t get it.” Patton left the register to man the dressing rooms. Roman followed him with a pout. An image of Patton running after Logan popped into Patton’s head, and he gave Roman a look. “Ro…” It was replaced with an image of Patton running into Logan in a coffee shop. “You know that isn’t going to happen.”

“But it might.”

“No, it won’t.” Patton was approached by another customer. Patton smiled and assisted them while Roman playfully chatted with the man’s imirage. He could try to get Roman to drop it, but that would be difficult. After all, he was Patton’s imagination… and what else could he do with his thoughts about Logan?

 

Logan was working at his computer when he heard something shuffle behind him. He turned around and was surprised when he saw Virgil on his bed. Well, a more accurate statement would be he saw a lump under the covers on his bed and, seeing as there was no one else in the apartment (hopefully), he inferred that it must be Virgil. “Is everything alright?” A muffled grumbling came from under Logan’s galaxy print blanket. Logan took that as a no and stood up, walking over to the bed. “Virgil? Will you come out, please?”

Slowly, Virgil peeked out from under the blanket. He was even paler than usual, and shivering. “Could you… Could you take a break? Please?”

Logan sat next to Virgil, shocked. His mind raced with possibilities of what could be wrong, only causing Virgil to groan. “No, no, stop. Just… Just give me a break, will you? Geez, you think too much… You’ve been thinking twice as much since you bought that new tie, and you keep dumping more and more thoughts on me! I can’t handle it… I’m not… I’m not tough and cool like Roman…”

Logan realized what was going on. “You’re ill. You haven’t been exposed to new ideas enough to have the energy to keep up with me.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “You think? And now you’ve started fantasizing about Patton too! While you work! You just, like, tripled my work load!”

Logan thought about this for a moment. Neither of them could continue like this. The solution was simple- he needed to expose Virgil to new ideas. He got back on his computer. “This won’t help much in the long run, but it should suffice for now.” He got on Tumblr. He hadn’t used the website in a while, but scrolling through it exposed him of a lot of nonsense, new ideas, and incredible works. He particularly enjoyed the Sherlock fanart.

After a few hours had gone by, he checked on Virgil again. Virgil was relaxed on Logan’s bed, not quite as pale. “Thanks Specs. Oh, by the way, you need more coffee. You keep forgetting that.” He vanished, and Logan sighed to himself. That was a lot of time wasted… but for good reason. And Virgil was right, he did need coffee. So, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to get away from a screen for a little while, Logan put his shoes on, straightened his tie and his hair, and went out.

 

The store was pretty quiet, which was good. It was getting late, most people were at home eating dinner and unwinding with their families. Logan looked over his short list again. Coffee, jam of a specific brand, bread, and napkins. He went to get the food first, going towards the bread aisle. As he debated prices and brands, he caught sight of a pale yellow uniform from the corner of his eye. He looked down the aisle, where a creative assistant and her imirage were shopping with a little girl. His heart broke a bit at the sight. There are very few ways an imirage can die, but it can happen, and it’s devastating. Without your imirage, you’re incapable of creative thought. If they were linked very deeply into your emotions, it could take that away from you, as well. It was impossible to function as an adult without an imirage, much less function as a child. People whose imirages had died were often found by a loved one and brought to the hospital, where they would be admitted into a home and given a creative assistant. A creative assistant was someone who helped give little suggestions and guide movements, along with sharing their imirage, in a way. Some people made partially recovery, some never made any progress and wasted away. He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to the little girl. The most obvious answer was abuse. Locked in a nearly empty room, nearly forgotten about, isolated from everything. Logan turned away quickly and grabbed the first loaf of bread that caught his eyes. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. He moved on to the next item on his list.

Patton hadn’t meant to linger around the greeting cards for long, they were just so cute and silly and sweet! Roman was enjoying himself as well, looking at romantic cards and anniversary cards, sighing happily at the fantasies they brought to life in him. He looked up, brightening excitedly when he saw someone pass by. He ran to catch up with him, calling out. “Logan! Oh my goodness, you’re here!”

Logan stopped and turned around, surprised to see a familiar imirage running to catch up with him. He was even more surprised when said imirage picked him up and twirled him around, nearly knocking his basket out of his hands. Once he was set down, he straightened his glasses and found that at some point Patton had caught up to them. “Greetings Patton, Roman. It’s a pleasure seeing you again.”

Patton blushed slightly, embarrassed. “I-it’s nice seeing you again, too! Sorry, we didn’t mean to disturb you from your shopping…” He glanced up, noticing something. “Where’s Virgil? Does he not join you when you’re shopping?”

Logan awkwardly adjusted his tie. Roman noticed with giddy excitement that it was the one he and Patton had sold him. “Virgil is… tired. I’ve been working a lot today.” Logan looked at Roman, then at Patton. He remembered the little girl with the creative assistant. What if Virgil…? He was suddenly very frightened of losing Virgil. “Patton, I know we are still mostly strangers, but may I request your help with something?”

Patton brightened. “Oh, of course! What sort of request do you have in store for me?” He giggled at his own joke as Logan’s expression morphed from confusion to understanding to exasperation.

He decided to ignore the joke, steeling his nerves and swallowing his pride. “Could you teach me how to take better care of my imirage? Of Virgil?” He looked at Roman. “You’re obviously very good at it yourself. But… Virgil is sick. I’m worried about him.”

“Oh no! Poor kiddo, of course I’ll help you guys!” The news of Virgil’s state was worrying to Patton. The implications of the way Logan took care of himself, or more how he didn’t, were concerning. “I don’t have work until ten tomorrow morning. How about we meet up at eight at the cafe down the street? I’m sure the coffee there is a latte better than the stuff you buy here!”

Logan could have groaned at the pun, but somehow it was less of an offence when Patton was smiling so proudly at his own clever wordplay. “That sounds perfect. I will see you then?”

“Wait!” Both Patton and Logan jumped at Roman’s sudden outburst. They’d nearly forgotten he was there. He pouted a bit at being ignored, but continued with his idea anyway. “You should exchange numbers! Just in case!”

Logan nodded. “Thank you Roman, I hadn’t thought of that.” He took out his phone and pulled up a new contact, then handed it to Patton. 

Patton blushed as he put in the number, then texted himself so he would have Logan’s number before handing the phone back to Logan. His heart was racing. Logan, the handsome and intelligent and breathtaking Logan, had his number! And Patton had his! “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Logan nodded, allowing a small smile to grace his lips. “Yes, I’ll see you. Until then.” He nodded and walked away. If his heart was beating a little faster than before, he ignored it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit longer than the last two I believe. If you see anything that needs to be tagged or any spelling/punctuation errors, tell me!


	4. A Meeting at a Cafe is Just a Date in Disguise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan and Patton meet up at the cafe. Virgil gets comfortable around Roman while Logan realizes what he's been doing wrong.

As soon as he was back at the apartment, Logan was confronted by Virgil. The pale imirage was not happy. “There is no way in hell we’re going through with this! Text Patton right now and tell him you have to cancel. You’re sick, you’re busy, you don’t need his help, something! Or just don’t show up!”

Logan shook his head. “Virgil, I need his help. You need his help. Plus, I think it will do us both some good.”

Virgil slowly realized what Logan wanted him to do. “I am not manifesting in a very public place in front of all those people! Especially not that prissy self absorbed princey guy!”

“You’ve barely spoken to him,” Logan pointed out, “You can’t make those assumptions about him. Either way, we’re going. And you’re going to manifest even if I have to force you to.” Virgil growled and vanished, done with the whole conversation. He knew deep down that he needed this, and there was no fighting Logan on this, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try.

 

“It’s not a date, Roman.” Patton had been repeating that to his fanciful creative aspect since Logan had agreed to the meeting. “I don’t need to wear anything super fancy.”

Roman looked through Patton’s closet. “Call it a meeting then! Whatever! It’s only a disguised date. And you still want to look nice in front of that dashing debonair gentleman!”

Patton giggled, looking at Roman. “What does debonair mean?”

Roman paused in his expedition through Patton’s clothes. “...I’m not sure, actually. I heard it somewhere, I liked the way it sounded. I may not know what it means, but I’m sure it perfectly describes Logan and his emo little imaginative facet!”

Patton laughed and went back to his makeup, going for a natural look. Despite his insistence that this wasn’t a date, he would be lying if he said his heart wasn’t pounding in anticipation. Roman finally picked out something for Patton to wear, declaring his quest for the perfect outfit complete. Patton ended up in a loose, light grey v-neck that fell gently around his features and ordinary black slacks. Roman gushed about the innocent simplicity as Patton picked up his phone, nervously texting Logan.  
>I’ll be there in fifteen.

 

Logan put on a black button up and the tie that he’d bought from Patton, looking at himself in the mirror. Casual enough… it was just business, right? There was no reason for him to be blushing at the text from Patton. He should be worried about being late, why was his head in the clouds? Virgil appeared next to him. “Hold up.” He sat on the counter and grabbed Logan’s makeup bag. He began to do Logan’s makeup, talking as he did so. “Look, I’m sorry about my outburst yesterday. You’re right, we need help. And I know this is important to you, so… I’ll cooperate the best I can.”

Logan smiled a bit as Virgil finished. “It’s alright, Virgil. I know you don’t like being out in public, but that is partially my fault. Hopefully, in time, we can help one another.” He looked in the mirror. Virgil had given him a natural look, accenting Logan’s features in just the right ways. “Thank you. Shall we head out?” Virgil nodded and disappeared. Logan checked his phone, finding a text from Patton. He replied nervously, wondering about why he was blushing.  
>I’m only about ten minutes away, so I’ll be there before you. Meet me outside. See you soon.

 

Logan waited nervously for Patton to show up. He looked up and smiled, taking Patton’s breath away. “Salutations. I must mention, I’ve never seen you in something other than your work uniform. That looks very nice on you.”

Patton blushed, giggling. “You don’t look too bad yourself! Let’s go in and get a table… where’s the kiddo?”

“Ah, he didn’t want to spend too much time in the open… Virgil? Will you come out now, please?” Logan really didn’t want to force Virgil to come out. Luckily, he didn’t have to.

Virgil manifested next to Logan, raising his hand slightly in greeting. “‘Sup.” He stayed close to Logan’s side, almost hiding behind him. Patton smiled warmly, Roman eyed him skeptically. The small group went into the restaurant and sat at a booth, the imirages on one side and the people on the other. With Roman next to him, he felt a little cornered.

Roman noticed Virgil’s tense posture and threw an arm around him. “Relax, hot topic!” In response he nearly got his hand bitten off. “Yikes! Fine, then…”

Patton laughed. “Aww, kiddo! I know Roman can come on kinda strong, but he’s a real sweetheart. You don’t have to be scared of him!”

While the two imirages eyed each other warily, Logan turned to Patton. “So, you see the state Virgil is in. Pale, too thin, constantly stressed. He was physically ill the other day. How do I care for him?” His tone was neutral, but Patton could see the worry and earnest in his expression. It melted his heart, seeing him care so gently.

Patton cleared his throat and refocused, blushing lightly. “Well, imirages need a few simple things. They need to be exposed to new ideas, they need to interact with other imirages, and they need to manifest often. Honestly, if you’re taking good care of yourself, you shouldn’t have these sorts of problems…” He looked up at Logan with worry. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, but… are you taking care of yourself?” Logan looked into Patton’s eyes. He was so worried, and so open. Logan felt his own walls begin to crumble as he told Patton about himself.

Across the table, the imirages were still looking each other over. The scene somehow resembled an anxious kitten meeting a much larger but incredibly friendly puppy. Roman smiled, Virgil arched an eyebrow. “...why are you staring at me?”

“You’re staring at me!” Roman declared. He was curious about this odd little darkling. He different from other imirages he had met, but not a bad different. Most imirages were like Roman- colorful, energetic, impulsive. Virgil seemed more thoughtful though. He had an intelligent gaze, and Roman couldn’t help wondering what those eyes would look like shining with inspiration. “We’re supposed to be exchanging ideas. Is there anything you’d like to talk about?”

Virgil eyed Roman cautiously, taking a deep breath. He wanted to just snap at him and sink away to safety, but he’d told Logan he was going to try to cooperate. He bit his lip, thinking as he slowly let his guard down a bit. “How… How did you get your hair like that? I’m not very good at the whole… shape-shifting thing.”

Roman practically lit up with joy. He’d actually gotten an answer. He launched into a long tale about how he’d experimented with shapeshifting, how he’d tried again and again to change the color of his hair. Virgil listen carefully, slowly relaxing around Roman as he became more familiar with him.

Logan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “...so basically, I’ve isolated myself from everyone. I don’t even need to leave the house for work. I didn’t even consider that by isolating myself… I’d be isolating Virgil as well.” He felt a little guilty about it.

Patton gently put his hand over Logan’s. “You need to take care of yourself to take care of Virgil. How about this? Let’s make this a daily thing. Every morning, if we’re both available, we’ll meet up here for coffee. Roman and Virgil can talk, and I could introduce you to some of my friends… before you know it, you’ll be socializing all the time!”

Logan thought about it. He enjoyed Patton’s company immensely, he would love to see him again. He looked across the table. Roman was teaching Virgil how to do nailpolish, rolling his eyes good-naturedly when Virgil turned his nails a shiny black. Virgil smiled proudly. It struck Logan that it had been a long time since he’d seen Virgil smiling. Or… proud of himself. It struck him that he himself hadn’t smiled this much in a while. He looked back at Patton. “If it’s not a bother to you, I would be very grateful. I would love to spend my mornings with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a little short! Tell me if you see a typo or something that needs to be tagged! And thank you all so much for your support on this, I can't begin to express how happy your reception has made me!


	5. Roman and Virgil Make a Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Roman text one another concerning Logan and Patton.

Patton was a giggling mess when he got home. He covered his face with a pillow as Roman danced around the room. “You’re going to see him every day! And he smiled at you, and oh! The way his gaze softens, the subtle care in his eyes…” Roman continued to ramble, Patton tuned him out and stared at the ceiling, hugging a pillow to his chest. Logan enjoyed his company. Logan wanted to spend time with him. He wanted to see him every morning. He giggled to himself, blushing all over again. He looked at Roman.

“Hey Ro… What do you think of Virgil?”

Roman thought about it for a moment, sitting on the coffee table. “Well… I don’t know yet. He’s definitely an odd one. But he’s kind of fun! Like a… a ferocious kitten!”

Patton laughed. “Well I’m glad you two can get along.”

Roman looked at Patton, tilting his head as he slowly formulated an idea. He quickly snatched Patton’s phone. Patton sat up. “Hey!”

“I need to talk to Virgil about something!” Roman went into Patton’s room and shut the door, sitting on the bed. He texted Logan.  
P & R: Hello! This is Roman.  
P & R: May I speak to Virgil?

Patton sighed and flopped back on the couch. He was used to that by now. So long as Roman didn’t change his wallpaper again, it was fine.

 

Logan was working at his computer, but he found it difficult to focus. He was already looking forward to seeing Patton again, absently messing with his tie. He looked down at his phone, his heart leaping unexpectedly when he saw Patton’s number. He felt a little disappointed when he saw it was just Roman. Why was he disappointed? He shook his head. “Virgil, Roman would like to talk to you.”

Virgil manifested next to him and took the phone, sitting on the bed. This was… new. No one texted Virgil.  
L & V: this is virgil  
L & V: whats up

P & R: We need to set up Logan and Patton!  
L & V: wut  
P & R: You’ve seen the way they look at each other, don’t play dumb!  
P & R: They’re perfect for each other, we have to set them up!  
L & V: okay  
L & V: theyre pretty good together, ill give u that  
L & V: but how are we supposed to set them up  
P & R: I’m glad you asked, my dark and stormy knight!  
P & R: We’re going to pretend to be infatuated with one another!

Virgil blushed. What the hell?!

L & V: no  
P & R: Yes!  
L & V: how would that even help  
P & R: You know what they say! The better your imirages get along, the more compatible you are!  
P & R: If they think we’re falling in love with each other, they’ll see each other more often, too!  
P & R: It could be the nudge in the right direction they need!

Virgil thought about it, looking at Logan. The poor guy was clueless and hopelessly in love. He’d seen how he looked at Patton, he knew how good Patton was for him.

L & V: ...  
L & V: fine  
P & R: Awesome! :D  
L & V: just dont overdo it  
L & V: no kissing or anything like that  
P & R: No need to be shy ~wO  
L & V: I MEAN IT  
P & R: Okay okay! It’s a plan then

Virgil quickly deleted the conversation and handed the phone back to Logan. What had he gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a little short! The next chapter will be a lot longer to make up for it. I changed the way they texted one another because AO3 was giving me some problems. Hopefully the next chapter will be up today as well! If not, definitely tomorrow! I'm already working on it. Thank you everybody for your support! Sorry I can't respond to comments right now!


	6. Roman and Virgil Make a Plan; Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Roman begin to execute their plan and come across an unexpected bump in the road.

The next few days passed uneventfully. Logan and Patton met up every morning for coffee, Virgil and Roman talked on one side of the table while Logan and Patton talked on the other side of the table. Virgil was already doing better, hanging around the apartment more and being more relaxed. Today, however, was another baby step for him. Virgil had asked if he could walk with Logan to the cafe. Logan had said yes, of course. He was proud of him for taking this step. “Virgil? I’m ready to go. Do you still want to walk with me?” 

Virgil appeared next to him, the hood of his jacket pulled down over his eyes. “Y-yes.”

Logan noticed how uncomfortable Virgil seemed. “Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t have to if you’re not ready.”

Virgil nodded quickly. “Yes! I want to walk with you. Now let’s go before I lose my nerve!” Logan nodded and opened the door, stepping outside. Virgil followed him, staying close to him. His imaginary heart was racing, he was suddenly very glad that he didn’t actually need to breathe. He felt as if everyone was staring at him, talking about him, judging him… He flinched as a hand rested on his shoulder, looking up.

Logan was watching him in concern. “Relax. You’re okay. Remember those breathing exercises we learned?” Virgil nodded, taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment before letting it out. Logan smiled encouragingly and nodded. “There we go. Come on. We’re nearly there.” He took Virgil’s hand and lead him the rest of the way to the cafe, reminding him every now and again to breathe. It wasn’t an unusual sight, many people’s relationships with their imirage could be described as queer platonic, but it was new for Logan and Virgil. They weren’t used to being around each other anymore. It was… nice. Like rekindling an old friendship.

Patton and Roman waved from the cafe entrance. Patton smiled brightly when he saw Virgil walking with Logan. “Hi Lo! Good to see you, kiddo!” They went inside, sitting in what was becoming their usual booth. Virgil pulled himself into the corner, getting a worried glance from Roman and Patton.

Logan smiled a bit. “Virgil, it’s just Patton and Roman. You were excited about it this morning. Will you please put your hood down?” Virgil looked at Logan, then Patton, then Roman. Slowly, he brought his hands up to his hood. He’d started blushing, his posture was shyer than usual. “You can do it, Virgil. Just really quickly, rip it off like a bandaid.” Virgil nodded and took a deep breath. Then, he quickly whipped his hood off. Patton and Roman gasped.

“Oh my goodness! Kiddo, you look amazing!”

 

“That’s absolutely a gorgeous color on you!”

Virgil blushed deeper at their approval and compliments. His hair was a bright purple color, standing out against his dull clothing. “Thanks, I… I kinda wanted to… to sorta match Roman…” He blushed and ducked his head.

Roman blushed. “Me? O-oh… I-i’m flattered, Virgil! It does look really good on you…” The two fell into a flustered silence, shyly smiling at each other. Patton smiled and looked at Logan, wondering if he was seeing the same thing. Logan arched an eyebrow, not understanding. Patton texted Logan under the table. Logan took out his phone and read the text.  
P & R: It looks like Virgil has a crush. And his feelings might be reciprocated.

Logan smiled. Now that he saw it, it was undeniably adorable. “So… how are things at work? I told you my operator error stories yesterday, surely you have some interesting customer service stories.” Patton laughed and immediately launched into a story about a woman who was trying to return a dog at Jos. A. Bank instead of at the pet store next door.

Roman smiled at Virgil. “It really does look good on you. Phase one, successful.”

Virgil blushed and playfully punched Roman in the arm. “Shut up, Sir Sing a Long.”

Roman suddenly stood up, grabbing Virgil by the arm. “We’ll be right back!” He dragged Virgil away, into a different unoccupied booth.

Virgil looked up at him, confused. “Um… what are we doing over here?”

“I just wanted to tell you,” Roman said with a smile, “all plans of setting up our people aside… you really do look good with the hair. And you walked with Logan all the way here! You should be proud. I know I’m proud of you!”

Virgil blushed deeply. Roman… was proud of him. His imaginary heart raced again, but this time in a different way. His breath caught as he looked up into Roman’s eyes. Uh oh. This could be a problem. “Th-thanks.”

Roman grabbed his hand again, flashing him that dazzling smile. “Keep up the good work, darkling!” He dragged Virgil back to the booth, sitting down again. As Virgil talked with Roman, he couldn’t help thinking to himself… he was so screwed.

 

Patton waved goodbye to Logan and Patton, then turned to Roman. “So… Virgil thinks you’re cool! He was inspired by you! What do you think of him?”

Roman blushed, remembering Virgil’s shy smile when he revealed the hair. “I don’t know. I certainly like him, a lot.”

Patton giggled. “Like him… how?”

Roman blushed deeper, laying on the act thick. “I-i don’t know!”

“Really? Because there are litteral hearts drifting around your head.” Patton pointed, and Roman turned his head. He was right. Roman hadn’t meant to do that… He blushed, and it was genuine. He suddenly felt panicked that Virgil saw him doing that. What if he did? Did he feel the same way? What if he thought he was weird?! Wait, why did that matter? ...uh oh. Roman laughed a little, but internally, he was in shock. He… was actually starting to fall for that emo nightmare!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is also really short, but technically it's a part two of the last chapter, which was also really short. So... together they make one long chapter? Tell me if you see any typos or anything that needs to be tagged!


	7. The Problem With Having a Strong Imagination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan reflects on how Virgil got so weak. Patton comes across some issues with Roman. They discuss it over coffee. Meanwhile, Virgil deals with a sulky Roman.

Logan hadn’t been able to stop fantasizing about his next meeting with Patton and Roman for hours. He sighed, turning to Virgil, who was currently laying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. “Virgil, these are lovely fantasies, but I don’t have time to daydream with you. I need to get to work.”

“When was the last time we just sat around and listened to music?” Virgil sat up, looking at Logan.

Logan sighed. “Are you even listening to me?” He was starting to remember why he’d been interacting with Virgil less and less. The imirage meant well, but he was easily distracted when it came to working.

Virgil nodded. “Yeah. But work is boring, and you’re ahead of schedule anyway! Do you think your old Spotify account still exists?” Before Logan could protest, Virgil had walked over to his laptop and logged into Spotify. 

Logan closed the tab. “Virgil, I need to work. Here…” He handed Virgil his phone and some earbuds. “You can listen to music, but you have to let me work.”

“Deal.” Virgil took the phone and earbuds, then laid on the bed and signed into Spotify from Logan’s phone. He turned on one of his old playlists, listening to whatever Set It Off song was on first. Partners in Crime… that described he and Roman pretty well, didn’t it? The thought made him smile.

Logan went back to work, finally able to focus. He reflected on his relationship with Virgil as he waited for his code to compile. When Logan was much younger, he and Virgil had been close friends. Virgil had a vibrant jacket covered in purple and black and green and neon pink. He’d had sharp eyeliner and a choker. He’d been confident and snarky, a little bit of a smartass. He was… well, what Logan had considered to be cool. What had happened? Logan had chosen a career he was good at, and made a decent amount of money. Virgil had been distracting, always insisting they listen to music and try new instruments. Logan had… well… more than once he’d lost his composure and snapped at Virgil, telling him to shut up and let him think. Telling him to go away if he wasn’t going to be helpful. So that’s what Virgil did. Slowly, he lost his color. He became shy and muted. He rarely ever showed up. Logan suddenly felt guilty, looking at Virgil. The imirage looked so happy, listening to music and smiling to himself. The brightness of his hair reminded Logan of how vibrant they both used to be. Logan used to be passionate and determined. Virgil used to be sassy and intelligent. They were a great team. Now Logan was a dull shut in, and Virgil was shy and insecure. He sighed. “Virgil…” The imirage didn’t respond, absorbed in what he was listening to. Logan nodded. Good. “Virgil, I’m sorry. I didn’t ever want this to happen to you. I’m going to make this right.” He stood up and walked over to the bed. This caught Virgil’s attention. He sat up, confused. Logan took an earbud from Virgil and put it in. He chuckled to himself. “I forgot I used to listen to music like this.”

Virgil smiled, encouraged by Logan’s presence. “You think this is good? Wait until you hear the newest albums we missed out on.” Logan and Virgil laid down next to each other, staring at the ceiling and listening to music. Virgil brought Logan into a daydream about Patton at every opportunity he got. Logan blushed and smiled to himself. Maybe there was more to his relationship with Patton than he initially thought…

 

Patton pulled Roman into the back room, a little annoyed. “Listen, kiddo, you know I appreciate your help. But you can’t just go around throwing your arms around people and sweeping them off their feet! And you can’t be so loud! You’re going to scare someone, or get them hurt!”

Roman sheepishly laced his fingers together behind himself. “I’m sorry! I’m really sorry. I just… I can’t help it!”

“If you can’t help it, then you can’t help me at work!” Patton sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes. He put them back on, looking at Roman sadly. “I’m not mad, kiddo.” Uh oh. That was the dad voice. “I’m just disappointed.” Now Roman knew he was in trouble. “We have this conversation every day, but nothing has changed. I know you love to help me at work, but I don’t think you can help me properly until you’ve learned how to control your actions a little better. We’ll get fired if you keep doing this, and you don’t want that, do you?”

Roman shook his head. “I’m sorry, Pat. I understand. I guess… s-see you after work?” He hated this part. He hated disappearing.

Patton nodded sadly. “See you after work.” Roman took a deep breath and vanished. Patton went back to work, putting on a smile despite the ache in his chest. He hated having to send Roman away.

 

When Logan arrived at the cafe the next morning, he was surprised to see Patton standing alone. “Good morning. Where’s Roman?”

Roman manifested next to Patton, sulking. Patton sighed. “I made him go away during work yesterday, he’s still a little put out about it.”

Roman huffed. “I can’t help it if I’m a little extravagant sometimes!”

Logan nodded. “I see. Well then, shall we go in?” They all went to their booth, Patton getting a cookie along with his coffee. Logan frowned, concerned. He’d come to observe that when Patton felt particularly down, he would get comfort food along with his beverage. “Is everything okay?”

Patton shrugged. “I just… I dunno.”

Logan looked at the two imirages. “Will you excuse us for a moment?” He lead Patton to a different booth, out of earshot of the imaginary figures. “Alright, we’re alone now. What’s wrong?”

Patton smiled softly at Logan’s consideration. “It’s just, Roman… I love the kiddo to death, but he can be pretty over the top sometimes. Some of our customers don’t take too kindly to that. I hate to send him away during work, but I can’t have him disturbing shoppers! I just don’t know what to do with all his extra energy…”

Logan thought about it. “In college, Virgil couldn’t sit still while I was working. So, we would go to the library. While I was studying on my laptop, Virgil would use one of the school computers. He had a flash drive with a music program on it, and he would sit there and write music while I studied. That way he had something to work on while I was focusing.”

Patton nodded. “So… I should find Roman something to do while I work to keep him distracted? Or at least calm?”

“Well, I chose an activity for Virgil based on his interests. You should do the same for Roman.” Logan smiled sadly. “When I started working… I started pushing Virgil to the side. I didn’t care about his need for an outlet, I didn’t consider how he felt. That’s how Virgil ended up like this. I’m trying to fix it… just, avoid pushing Roman aside, okay? I know you would never neglect him on purpose. You’re much too kind for that.”

Patton blushed. “I’m sure you didn’t neglect Virgil on purpose.” He looked up at Logan, smiling. “You’re kinder than you realize.”

 

Roman sat with his arms on the table and his head in his arms, pouting. Virgil frowned, gently poking his cheek. “Hey, Princey. You okay?”

“No!” Roman sat up, dramatically monologuing. “He pushed me aside, Virgil, he sent me away! Just because I’m a little… overly enthusiastic! Can you blame me for being me? I can’t help it! So I’m a tad dramatic, it’s just in my nature! I’ve never felt more betrayed…”

Virgil sighed, relating. “I totally get it. All Logan ever does is work and it’s soooooo boring.”

“Isn’t it?” Roman sat back, facing Virgil. “When he’s not wandering around, he just sits at a desk all day…”

Virgil nodded. “Typing away, it feels like he’s doing the same thing over and over…”

“And it’s such dry stuff!”

“Numbers that hardly make any sense.”

“Making sure returns are catalogued.”

“Adjusting boring color schemes to equally boring color schemes.”

“And listening to customers go on and on…” Roman pitched his voice up. “Oh! I need to buy a tie for my husband, but you don’t have the exact thing I’m looking for! How dare you not know exactly what I’ll want months before I do so you can have it in store just for me?! Would you put your wife through this?!” He changed his voice back to normal. “With all due respect ma’am, I would never even have a wife!”

Virgil laughed, and Roman could’ve sworn it was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. He blushed and smiled, doing more impressions and cracking jokes. Virgil’s normally edgy composure dissolved into delighted giggling and teasing. It was a side of him Roman felt blessed to see, and it lifted his mood faster than anything could. He smiled, resting his chin on his palm. “You know, you have the most adorable laugh…”

Virgil blushed, shyly brushing his bangs out of his face. He looked away and put his hand over Roman’s. Roman felt himself momentarily short circuit. Virgil was holding his hand! He was about to say something when Logan and Patton came back, sitting in front of Roman and Virgil. Roman deflated a little. Virgil was just acting, wasn’t he? Roman resigned himself to taking what he could get… for now. Still, he couldn’t help it when his heart did flips over the shy ghost of a smile that was left on Virgil’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am... updating a lot today, aren't I? Well, I do enjoy writing, and I need to get this all down before I forget it, haha... As always, tell me if you see anything that needs to be tagged or if you see any typos! Thank you so much for all the support, I can't tell you all how much it means to me! This will probably be the last part I post today. Probably.


	8. An Official Date and a Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton and Logan meet up at a park. Roman and Virgil suck at communication.

Weeks passed, the four got closer and closer. Roman had taken to painting in the back room when Patton was working, and he normally had Patton show Logan and Virgil show pictures of his latest masterpieces on his phone. Virgil had been doing better as well; he had more color in his cheeks, he would walk with Logan to places that weren’t to crowded, and he had started hanging out around the apartment more often. On this particular day, Patton had asked Logan to meet him in the park that afternoon. Logan couldn’t fathom why, but perhaps that was because he didn’t question it. He would be happy to spend time with Patton any time.

Virgil made him wear something slightly less formal to the park. A light button up, no tie, jeans. Virgil himself had his jacket tied around his waist. Logan smiled and waved as Patton rushed up. “You look… adorable as always, Patton.” Logan felt like his vocabulary was lacking adjectives in Patton’s presence. Patton was wearing a light blue blouse and skinny jeans, with a blue ribbon bow in his hair.

Patton giggled and blushed. He’d never seen Logan look anything other than professional… He didn’t think he could be crush any harder on Logan, but he proved himself wrong. “Thank you! You look very nice today yourself.”

Roman was busy watching the Logan’s skinny imirage, who was leaning against a tree. Virgil was relaxed, listening to music on Logan’s phone. He was smiling to himself, nodding slightly to the beat of whatever he was listening to. He opened his eyes and blushed as his eyes met Roman’s. Roman blushed as Virgil looked away shyly. “H-hey Ro.”

Roman wasn’t sure how he managed to get himself to speak, he could hardly breathe. “Virgil! It’s so good to see you out of that stifling hoodie! You really need to take up a new type of fashion…” Although, Roman thought to himself, Virgil rocked a t-shirt. “Come, let’s take a walk! Patton has something planned, we should leave them alone for a moment. And it would be a crime not to appreciate such a beautiful day!” The two wandered off, Roman chatting and Virgil listening intently.

Patton lead Logan to a bench and sat next to him. “So, I’m afraid I’m a bit irritated with you…”

Logan felt his joy at being so near Patton turn to panic. “Y-you are?” He tried to think of anything he could have done. “I apologise if I… if I offended you somehow…”

Patton sighed and shook his head. “You really don’t get it, do you?” He looked down at the ground. “How could you not have told me…” Logan felt icy fear grip him. What had he forgotten?! “...that today is your birthday!!” Patton looked up, a mischievous grin on his face.

Logan let out the breath he’d been holding. “Oh, thank god… I thought you were actually about to yell at me…” Patton could be scary when he wanted to be. Or maybe it was just that losing Patton’s friendship was Logan’s biggest fear.

“Awww, Logan!” Patton laughed and hugged his friend. “I was just joking! Payback for not telling me! Not that I didn’t find out anyway.”

Logan hugged Patton, then pulled away, confused. “How did you find out today is my birthday?”

Patton smiled slyly. “I have my ways…” Logan looked mildly concerned, and Patton softened. “I sent you a friend request on Facebook, remember? You insisted you never use it, but you accepted it anyway.”

“Oh. And you received the birthday reminder.” Logan sighed in a mixture of relief and exasperation. Patton always managed to surprise him. “I apologize for not telling you, I don’t really celebrate my birthday…”

Patton’s eyes widened. “You don’t?! Well, we’re changing that right now!” Patton smiled as he handed Logan a card. Logan opened it carefully. The front of the card had a cartoonish bee on it and the words ‘Happy Birthday’ spelled out on a flower. He opened the card, reading where it said ‘I can’t bee-lieve how old you’ve gotten!’ As he did, two pieces of paper fell into his lap. Patton was smiled brightly with excitement. “They’re play tickets! You mentioned that you’d never been to see a Broadway play, and you wanted to one day, so I thought you and Virgil could go see a play together!”

Logan’s eyes widened, he couldn’t help smiling a bit. “Thank you, Patton. This is very considerate of you. However…” He turned to Patton, feeling his heart jump. “As much as I would enjoy going with Virgil, I think I would much rather go with you.” He blushed as he spoke.

Patton blushed. “O-oh… I mean, if… if you really want to, I-i would certainly go with you! I could get more tickets, so Virgil and Roman could come to…”

Logan shook his head. “No, Patton. I…” He blushed deeper as he took one of Patton’s hands. “I am attempting to ask you on a date.” His heart raced. This wasn’t normal for him, he was never spontaneous like this. He had to be out of his mind! Maybe Patton was starting to wear off on him… not that he was complaining.

Patton froze for a moment. Slowly, his hand tightened around Logan’s, and he laughed giddily. “Oh, Logan! I would love to!” He threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly. Logan returned the embrace gently, beaming. He was going to go on a date with Patton.

 

Roman and Virgil high-fived behind a bush. Roman had told Virgil about Patton’s plan, and Virgil had gotten it into Logan’s head that he should ask Patton on a date. It worked like a charm. They smiled happily and sat next to one another. Roman cheered softly. “Mission accomplished!”

Virgil laughed a little, his heart sinking. “Yeah… mission accomplished.” They’d set up Logan and Patton. “So… I guess we can stop pretending now.”

Roman’s joy evaporated. “Oh. I… I guess we can.” He deflated a little, picking at the grass. He and Virgil weren’t in a romantic relationship. He forgot that sometimes, between the flirting and the hand holding and the way his heart fluttered when Virgil was around.

Virgil nodded. “Well… thanks for putting up with me, I guess. Glad that’s over.” Surely Roman wouldn’t think that much of him. As far as he knew, Roman didn’t even like him as a friend. So it was amazing that he’d been able to keep up the act.

Virgil’s words hit Roman like a punch to the stomach. He was glad it was over? Well… Virgil didn’t seem like Roman’s type. “Yeah… let’s just get back to Logan and Patton.”

They both hesitated, looking away from each other as they held back tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is short! I've been struggling with writer's block. It might be a couple days before the next chapter is posted. As always, tell me if you see a mistake or something that needs to be tagged! Thank you for reading!


	9. Everything Just Gets Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without Virgil by his side, Logan doesn't know how to talk to people. I'm sorry.

Logan was smiling to himself even as he walked home. He couldn’t help it. He had a date with Patton! “Virgil! I need your help planning an outfit.” He waited for a snarky comment, a fond chuckle, the familiar feeling of his creative thinking being amplified. However, he was met with silence. He looked around, confused. He’d gotten used to Virgil being around nearly constantly. “Virgil?”

The imirage appeared, lounging on the stairs. “Ugh, what do you want?”

Logan stared at him for a moment. Virgil’s hair was ordinary brown again. “I… need help planning what to wear for my date with Patton this weekend.”

Virgil rolled his eyes and sat up. “Why? You’re probably going to do all this planning ahead to have it thrown away! Have you ever even been to a play? No. Do you have any idea what people wear to plays? Nope. So am I capable of being any help to you? Not at all.”

Logan was surprised by Virgil’s tone. He sounded almost hateful. “I’m sorry if I have done something to upset you, but-”

“Really? You neglect me for years, and you don’t know what I might be upset about?” He crossed his arms. “You’re so emotionally unaware that I could probably get more empathy out of a brick!”

Logan took a step back. “But… we’re working on that, and-”

“And what?” Virgil cut him off and took a few steps closer. “And you didn’t realized what you were doing to me? You never thought maybe you were better off without me?”

“I never-”

“Don’t try to pull that with me, I get it. We almost never see eye to eye, you would rather have a more practical imagination. Or maybe a naturally stronger imagination, like Roman!”

“Virgil-”

“Really, what do you see in that overwhelming, egotistical jerk? I honestly don’t know what you see in Patton, either.”

“Now wait just-”

“Do you honestly believe someone as wonderful as Patton would fall for someone like you? He probably thought you’d gotten the wrong idea when he gave you those tickets. He’s so sweet, he probably just didn’t want to break your heart. After all, doesn’t he feel obligated? You’re practically dependent on him! You’ve thrown all your problems on him, and he’s too nice to tell you to just screw off! You might as well call off the date, you know he would never feel that way about you. You don’t deserve someone like him!”

“Virgil, STOP.”

Virgil stopped talking, looking at Logan. The poor man looked like he’d just been told his dog died. Virgil watched in horror as Logan took off his glasses and wiped at tears forming in his eyes. “Could you… just stop? One moment, please?” Logan took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “What… what brought this on, Virgil? I thought you liked Patton and Roman, I thought you supported me on this.”

Virgil felt guilt build up in him. “I… I do think you and Patton work great together. I’m sorry, I don’t honestly believe any of the stuff I just said. I… I need a minute.” Virgil disappeared, leaving Logan alone with more self doubt than he was prepared to deal with. He needed some time to sort himself out. He would have to talk to Patton about it.

 

Roman had been pacing for hours now. He’d been pacing when Patton had fallen asleep, he was still pacing when Patton woke up in the morning. Patton was about to scold him when he saw the tears on Roman’s face. “Ro, what’s wrong?” Patton stopped his creative facet and pulled him over to the couch, hugging him.

Roman hugged him back, fighting off a sob. “Oh, Patton… I’m afraid I got it all wrong. I… Virgil, he… I misinterpreted so much. He doesn’t have any romantic feelings towards me at all. I created this fantasy of the two of us together and that’s all it was. A stupid fantasy.”

Patton found that hard to believe, but he would address that in a moment. “What makes you say that? How do you know that Virgil doesn’t like you romantically? You two seemed to be getting along pretty well…” Roman shook his head, a sob finally breaking free. He told Patton everything, about the plan and the acting and the private moments he’d shared with Virgil that he thought meant something. Patton slowly understood as Roman finished, telling Patton what Virgil had said once they’d set Patton and Logan up for a date. “Kiddo… maybe this is a huge misunderstanding. It sounds to me like there was a little more going on there. How about this- tomorrow morning, we can talk things out with Logan and Virgil. We’ll see what Virgil really thinks, and proceed from there.” Roman nodded, hugging Patton again. Patton rubbed his back and sighed. Hopefully, this was all a big miscommunication.

 

The first thing that Patton noticed when Logan approached him the next morning was how exhausted he looked. His hair was still a bit of a mess, there were faint bags under his eyes… had he even slept? The second thing he noticed was that Virgil was not by his side. “Morning Lo! Where’s the kiddo?”

Logan sighed. “Virgil is having a bad day, he didn’t want to accompany me this morning. Shall we go in?” He lead the way inside, getting a coffee and sitting in their usual booth. He noted that Patton got a cookie with his coffee again. Uh oh. Feelings. Without Virgil there to help him, Logan was suddenly very unsure of himself. Virgil helped him stay in tune with his emotions, helped him come up with what to say. Now here he was, just… winging it? “Patton… may I speak to you about something?”

Patton nodded. “I actually have something I want to talk to you about, too. You first.”

Logan nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. He took a deep breath, then took another sip of coffee. “I… I think we should stop seeing each other. Like this.”

“What?” Patton’s heart stopped for a moment. “But… I thought… we were going to see a play together this weekend…”

“Yes, of course! My offer still stands!” Logan quickly tried to amend what he was saying. “It’s just, you’re my closest friend, Patton, and I don’t want to ruin that…” He was scared of saying or doing the wrong thing. He needed some time to sort out his feelings. He was scared and self conscious and unsure. But those were things that were difficult to vocalize, and the negativity and anxiety Virgil was feeding him wasn’t helping.

Patton smiled a bit. “I… I understand.” He could feel his heart breaking. He didn’t understand! He stood up. “I should go.”

Logan realized he said the wrong thing. He stood up as well. Where was Virgil when he needed him?! “Wait, Patton, I think I said that wrong, I only meant-”

“It’s fine, Logan!” Patton’s breath caught, tears gathered in his eyes. “I get it! Just leave me alone.” Patton ran off, trying to get away before he broke down in tears.

Logan tried to follow, but Roman stopped him. The imirage glared at him. “I think you’ve said enough.” He was gone before Logan had a chance to explain.

Logan sighed, sitting back down in the booth. “Virgil… I needed you here…” He put his head down on the table, wondering if he would ever know what it was that Patton wanted to talk about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another short one, but hey! I'm back! And I may or may not be breaking hearts with these next couple of chapters, so brace yourselves. The only two settings I have are tooth rotting fluff and heartbreaking angst. As always, tell me if something needs to be tagged or if I made a mistake! (And tell me if this chapter doesn't make sense, I'm a little worried about that with this one ^^;)


	10. Hot Headed Nerd Hurts His Own Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan and Virgil aren't getting along. Patton abruptly realizes his mistake.

Logan attempted to text Patton multiple times, but got no response. He slammed the door of his apartment closed, fighting off tears. “VIRGIL!” Virgil manifested reluctantly. Logan glared at him, hands curling into fists at his sides. “Where were you?! I needed you! I was trying to respect your privacy, but I needed you, and you weren't there! You refused to be there!!”

Virgil looked at the floor, feeling small. “I… I didn't realize… I didn’t think-”

“That’s right,” Logan snapped, “you didn’t think! You just did whatever suited you, and you didn’t even tell me why! What do you want from me?! An apology? More space to yourself? Why do you always insist on ruining my life?!?” Virgil flinched away, taking half a step back as Logan loomed over him with a soft growl. “I’m starting to think that I’d be better off without you.” He stormed off, going to his room and slamming the door. He needed to get back to work.

Virgil looked at the floor, his worst fears confirmed. He was holding Logan back. The more involved in something he was, the more likely he was to mess it up. Tears stung in the back of his eyes. Logan was suffering, and it was all his fault. He closed his eyes and vanished before the tears could even hit the floor.

 

Roman held Patton in his arms, rubbing his back as the man sobbed. “I-i thought… I thought he really liked me, Ro! I thought he was asking me out, I thought…!”

Roman shushed him and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry, Patton. I thought so, too. Virgil and I… we both thought so.”

Patton sniffled, hiding his face in Roman’s shirt. Logan was so nice to him. He was so smart, and funny, and the way he and Virgil had slowly been coming out of their shells-

Patton sat up abruptly. “Virgil thought Logan liked me?”

Roman nodded sadly. “We built this whole plan around getting you two together! But I guess in the end-”

“Wait.” Patton cut Roman off and wiped his eyes. “Logan… I barely know what Logan is like when Virgil isn’t manifested. But he’s already adorably awkward when Virgil is there to help him. But…”

“But Virgil wasn’t there.” Roman’s eyes widened. “Virgil wasn’t there to help him find what he wanted to say, and I stopped him from running after you and explaining himself.”

Patton looked up at Roman. “What were Logan’s exact words?”

Roman thought about it for a moment, before speaking in Logan’s voice. “I… I think we should stop seeing each other. Like this.” Roman thought a moment longer, remembering what Logan had said before Patton ran away. “Wait, Patton, I said that wrong, I only meant-”

Patton starred at Roman for a moment. Wordlessly, he took out his phone and unblocked Logan’s number. Immediately, several texts and missed calls showed up.

L & V: Patton, please let me explain  
L & V: I’m not good with feelings  
L & V: I just meant that I wanted to stop seeing each other for coffee every morning  
Missed call from L & V  
Missed call from L & V  
L & V: I am still romantically interested in you  
L & V: Please talk to me  
Missed call from L & V

Patton teared up, staring at his phone. “I… I got it all wrong. Oh… Oh my… I need to fix this!”

Roman nodded, reinvigorated by Patton’s passion. “Call him back! No, wait. That’s not grand enough to win back his heart! Go to him, now!!”

“I-i will!” Patton stood up, a determined look in his eye.

Roman wrapped an arm around Patton’s shoulders. “You must fight to win back your lover’s heart!”

Patton nodded, setting his jaw and raising his fists with the ferocity of a passionate kitten. “I must!”

“Now go!” Roman ushered Patton out the door. “Go now, rescue your relationship! Godspeed Patton! Godspeed!”

Patton rushed out the door, then turned and looked at Roman. “You know you’re coming with me, right?”

Roman rolled his eyes and jogged up next to Patton. “It’s called a motivating send off, Prince Charming. Now get a move on!”

 

Logan was more than surprised when someone knocked at his door. He stood up and went to the door, practically throwing it open when he saw Patton outside the window. “Patton! Why are you- it’s so good- I- won’t you come in?” He stumbled over his words as he made room for Patton and Roman to come inside. His apartment was incredibly tidy, a houseplant here and there making the place feel like home. Patton came inside, Roman sitting on the faded blue couch while Patton hugged Logan tightly. “I’m so sorry!! I- I thought you weren’t interested anymore, I immediately assumed the worst, I jumped to conclusions, please forgive me!!”

Logan stood still, shocked. His mind caught up to what Patton was saying and he wrapped his arms around him. “Oh Patton, I’m sorry. I’m not good at communicating my emotions. It’s okay.”

They stayed like that a moment longer. It felt good just to be in each other’s arms, especially after being so frightened of losing each other. After a long moment, Patton pulled away, smiling. “So where’s that emo kiddo of yours? I want to give him a hug, too! And… I think he and Roman have a few things to talk about.”

Logan frowned. Just for a moment there, he had been feeling better. “We… haven’t been getting along lately. I haven’t been able to get him to manifest all day.”

“What?!” Roman stood up from where he had made himself comfortable. “What’s wrong with Virgil? Is he hurt? Is he sick again?”

Logan looked between Patton and Roman, guilt curling in the pit of his stomach. He looked down, voice barely above a whisper with shame. “I… I told him I would be better off without him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short one! Sorry if it feels a little rushed, I'm having some personal struggles lately. Update schedule is going to be a little spastic for a while. Thank you everyone for being patient! If you see a mistake or something that needs to be tagged, tell me!


	11. Be More Chill is a Great Musical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan is awkward. Virgil is insecure. Patton is fatherly. Roman is dramatic. Same as always, except this time they learn to communicate.

“You what?!” Roman looked like he was about to spread Logan’s remains across a battlefield, so Patton quickly made him sit down. Still, he was also frowning.

“Logan, I’m disappointed in you! How could you say that to poor Virgil?”

Logan was a good few inches taller than Patton, but something about the tone of his voice made him feel like the other man was towering over him. He kept his gaze on the floor. “I… I was angry. I didn’t mean it. I blamed him for my slip up with you.”

Patton considered Logan for a moment, arms crossed. After a long moment, he sighed. “Oh Logan, we really need to work on your temper. You can’t get him to manifest at all?”

Logan shook his head. “Besides forcing him, I can’t get him to come out. And I have a feeling that forcing him will just make him more angry. Even if I could apologise to him, I don’t think he’d listen to me.”

“We have to try.” Patton sat on the couch determinedly. “Summon him.”

Logan took a deep breath. “Virgil, please…” Nothing. “Virgil.” Still nothing. “VIRGIL!” 

Virgil manifested unwillingly. To say he was a mess would be an understatement. His hair was all over the place, and his makeup was smudged over his face. “Cut it out!! I don’t want to talk to you!! To ANY of you!!”

Roman’s heart ached when he saw Virgil without the color in his hair. “Oh mi estrella, have you been crying?” He stood, hugging him before he could protest. A flash of movement later, Roman was on the floor and Virgil was several paces away from him, hissing.

Logan slowly approached Virgil, hands raised in surrender. “Hey, Virge, it’s okay. Calm down. Remember what we learned.” Virgil watched him for a moment, then closed his eyes and began to take deep breaths. Logan nodded, letting Virgil have his space. “There we go. Easy. Virgil, I’m so sorry. You know I didn’t mean anything I said earlier, don’t you? I would never wish to get rid of you.”

Virgil nodded, tearing up. “But… But what if you’re right? I think… I think you really would be better off without me!”

As Virgil started to cry, Patton couldn’t resist his paternal instincts anymore. He quickly stood and pulled Virgil into a comforting hug, rubbing his back as the imirage sank into the embrace. “Oh kiddo, don’t say that…”

Logan felt terrible for making Virgil feel that way. He knew that Virgil was self conscious, which made his comments that much more unacceptable. Watching him cry in Patton’s arms made him realize just how much he’d hurt him. He looked around, mind racing. He ended up picking up his earbuds. “Virgil. I… I’m so sorry.” Virgil looked up, pulling away from Patton and meeting Logan’s eyes nervously. Logan looked down at his hand, then awkwardly held out the earbuds. “Would you… like to continue updating me on the latest music?”

Virgil stared at him a moment, then burst out laughing. “Oh god, you really are hopeless without me, aren’t you?” He took the earbuds, reveling in Logan’s look of embarrassment. “Sure. Let’s hang out.”

 

Patton ushered Roman out of the apartment, saying goodbye to Logan and Virgil and telling Logan he would text him later. He smiled, happy that Logan and Virgil were making up. He noticed Roman still seemed a little down as they began walking away. He was about to ask, when it suddenly struck him what was wrong. “We didn’t talk to Virgil about your feelings. You didn’t get a chance to confess.”

Roman sighed and shrugged. “Well, you and Logan had a moment, and Logan and Virgil are having a moment… I wouldn’t want to intrude. And… after the way Virgil reacted to me, I don’t think that he has any interest in me anymore. If he ever did.” He was starting to accept it. At least, he thought so. “Even if Virgil and I aren’t really falling in love… you’ll still be with Logan, right? You know that the whole thing about imirage compatibility is garbage anyway?”

Patton smiled fondly. “Awww, Ro! Of course I’m going to stay with Logan, even if you and Virgil only end up as friends. Thank you for worrying about me, but I think Logan and I will be fine.” It hurt his heart that Roman was giving up on his crush, but at least he seemed to be taking it well.

Roman took a deep breath and put on a smile for Patton as his heart shattered.

 

Logan spent most of the next few days hanging out with Virgil, re-familiarizing himself with his presence. They spent a lot of that time talking, going over Virgil’s insecurities and Logan’s temper. Some conversations ended in laughter, some in tears, and some in quiet understanding. By the time the play rolled around, Logan was used to telling the difference between Virgil’s normal sarcasm and him attempting to cover up when he was insecure, and Virgil was used to interpreting the odd ways that Logan showed affection. The imirage sat on the bed while Logan went through his closet, vetoing one outfit after the next. “Hmm… keep the slacks, but dear lord, you think I would let you leave the house in that shirt?”

Logan set the black slacks aside, and the shirt went back in the closet. “What about… this?”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “You can’t wear a black polo with black slacks. All dark colors are my thing. Move aside, nerd.” He gently pushed Logan out of the way as he looked through the closet. Logan took his position on the bed, waiting for Virgil to pick something out for him. “Here we go… this could work.”

Logan raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You do know that I never wear purple? I don’t even know where I got that shirt.”

Virgil sighed. “Worth a shot.” He turned back to the closet. “What about this?” He held up a blue button up that was a faded navy blue. “You always did look good in this color. And it’ll look good with your tie.”

Logan smiled. “Yes, that could work.” He checked the time, then hurried to get changed. He wanted to be ready before Patton got there. They’d decided to get a cab together.

Logan was waiting anxiously on the couch when the doorbell rang. “Patton… you look… stunning.”

Patton blushed and giggled. “Thanks, Lo!” Roman had dressed him in an off-white blouse and a pale blue skirt. 

Logan’s heart beat faster. He had never been a fan of off white clothes, but on Patton it was perfect. He offered Patton his arm. “Shall we?” Patton giggled again and Logan was certain that sound would be the death of him.

Patton gently laced his arm through Logan’s. “You look really nice, too. Do you do your own makeup?” His heart was racing. He was going on a date! A real date! With Logan! To see a play! He could hardly contain his excitement. 

They only had two tickets, so Logan purchased tickets for Roman and Virgil. There were only so many seats left, so the imirages would be sitting together in the upper left hand corner of the theater while Logan and Patton sat near the front in the center. Virgil felt trapped as Roman sat next to him, similar to the first time they saw each other in the coffee shop. Roman noticed his apprehension. “Do you want to switch seats with me?” Virgil shook his head and kept his gaze on the stage as the lights dimmed. Roman frowned and looked to the stage.

Logan had trouble paying attention during the first act. It wasn’t because the play was uninteresting! The lead’s imirage had actually made themselves slightly translucent to play the part of a hologram in the protagonist’s mind. It was exciting, and while a little ridiculous, fun. The reason he was having trouble focusing was Patton. Patton was just enjoying himself so much, it was hard not to stare at him. Cautiously, Logan pretended to stretch, then draped his arm over the back of Patton’s chair. Patton caught on an giggled quietly, pulling Logan’s arm so it was properly draped over his shoulder. “You’re adorable,” he whispered. Logan’s blush was visible even in the dark.

By the end of intermission, Roman had had enough. He couldn’t stand this anymore! “Virgil, please talk to me. You’ve barely even acknowledged my existence this entire time!”

Virgil shrugged. “What is there to talk about? Let’s just watch the play.”

Roman shook his head, lowering his voice to a whisper as the lights dimmed. “You’ve been acting off, Virgil. I can tell when there’s something wrong. Have you still not patched things up with Logan?” Virgil shook his head. Okay, so it wasn’t that. “Are there too many people here? Are you uncomfortable?” He shrugged. Getting closer… “Am I making you uncomfortable. Oh, my da- Virgil. Virgil, I’m sorry, did I do something? Do you want me to-”

“Shut up!” Virgil hissed at Roman, causing someone not too far away from them to shush them. “Will you stop pretending to care? Act is over. If you want to keep pretending, you should be up there.” He pointed to the stage.

Roman growled softly and tangled his hands in his hair for a moment in exasperation. “Virgil, I do care!” He turned in his seat to face him, whispering frantically. “At first it was all just pretend. But the more we hung out, and schemed together, and the more I learned about you… Virgil, I’ve fallen for you!”

Virgil finally met Roman’s eyes, shocked by his confession. “But… I-i thought…”

Roman shook his head, already bracing himself for rejection. “It’s okay, I don’t expect you to reciprocate, I just couldn’t-” He was cut off when a pair of lips met his own. His eyes fluttered shut as he kissed Virgil, wrapping his arms around him. Colors danced in their minds as they shared energy and ideas for a brief moment. As Virgil pulled away, it occured to Roman that this was his new favorite play.

 

Patton swung his arm as they walked out of the theater, holding Logan’s hand. Logan was theorizing on how the supposed hive mind that was forming near the end of the play worked, and why it was an interesting concept. Patton was barely following, but he nodded along and smiled, just happy that Logan had enjoyed the show. He spotted Roman and waved excitedly. Then, he spotted Virgil by his side. “Oh, Logan, look!”

Logan cut himself off, eyes widening when he saw Virgil. “Incredible…” He approached him cautiously. “Virgil… I must say I was not expecting the sudden change in style, but I approve.”

“Change in style?” He looked down at himself, confused. His t-shirt was a dark purple, but it was covered up by the coolest hoodie he’d ever seen. It was a black hoodie with patches of purple plaid sewed into it, with zippers on the sleeves. His hair fell into his face and he noticed that the purple pigmentation of his hair was back. He smiled a bit, glancing at Roman. “Oh, yeah. It’s nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *under a pile of blankets* *eating ice cream out of the tub* Consistent chapter lengths? Never heard of 'em. Okay, I'll stop breaking hearts for now and let them be happy! At the end of this week I'll be leaving for a two week vacation in Maine with my family, so I most likely won't be updating during that time. Thanks for all the support so far! If you see a typo or something that should be tagged, tell me!


	12. Virgil Writes Some Very Angry Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternative title- The Author Writes Some Very Bad Song Lyrics and Claims It's a Plot Device. This chapter looks kind of long, but it's only about 2,200 words.

“Virgil, will you please just turn that off and listen to me?”

Virgil sighed and pulled his earbuds out, switching his music off. “Ugh, I don’t want to help you with your math homework. Just figure it out yourself. Or better yet, don’t do it at all.”

Logan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had difficulty with Virgil in the past, but this? Straight up refusal? This was new. “I don’t have time for this Virgil. I need your help thinking of an outside the box use for our program and extra features we can add. It’s a simple brainstorm!” He thought about it for a moment. “If we work on this now… We can watch The Nightmare Before Christmas this evening.”

Virgil smiled. “Deal.” He got up and got to work, helping Logan with the problem. However, now he was preoccupied. This could be the start of a problem.

 

“Are you sure?” Patton’s voice came through the speaker of Logan’s phone. Logan was sitting in his room, the end credits to The Nightmare Before Christmas playing downstairs. “I mean, I can see it… I guess you were just the last person I’d expect to be detouring. I thought you liked your job.”

“I do!” Logan sighed. He thought his job was fine. Challenging, but not too labour intensive. It paid well. And yet… Virgil was showing less and less interest. Just the thought of it made him grimace. Detouring. When an imirage grew bored with your current lifestyle and began encouraging you to drop everything and go another direction. He could simply ignore Virgil’s resistance, however that put his health in danger. Any day now Virgil could burst into his room with some sort of ridiculous idea for what Logan’s future should be. What would he do if and when that time came? “I guess it has gotten a little tedious over the past few years. Now that Virgil has his strength back, he needs to be engaged more. I’m just worried about what he’ll come up with. Recently he’s shown interest in everything from cooking to stop motion animation. And what about my job? I can take a short leave, but Virgil’s detour could last a while… you know how stubborn he gets!”

“Hm…” Dishes clinked on the other end of the line, Patton and Roman just finished dinner and were clearing off the table. “Maybe you could move in with me! I mean… if you’re okay with that…”

Logan blushed. “I… well, I don’t want to intrude… and what if I lose my job? I won’t be able to pay rent!”

“Nonsense, Lo! You’re my boyfriend!” Logan’s heart never failed to skip a beat upon hearing that. Patton continued to reassure him as he smiled to himself. “I mean, it might be a little earlier in our relationship than I anticipated, but you’re always welcome here! You can call me as soon as Virgil starts digging his heels in about detouring.”

Logan opened his mouth to thank Patton when his door suddenly flew open. Virgil was standing there with a look of determination in his eyes, Logan could practically see the proclamation on the tip of Virgil’s tongue. Oh no. “Logan! Let’s be composers!”

“...I’ll see you soon, Patton.”

 

Virgil looked around the apartment approvingly. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room. Everything one needed. However, the layout of his new living space wasn’t his greatest concern right now. No, his greatest concern was the notebook sized cloth case he was clutching to his chest.

He sat on the couch, pretending that he wasn’t absolutely delighted when Roman sat next to him. “I’m so excited you’ve come to live with us! Now we can see each other every day! Isn’t that wonderful, dearheart?”

Virgil blushed slightly at the overly romantic pet name. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” he teased. “Maybe if I spend more time with you I’ll get the hang of ignoring you.”

Roman gasped and scoffed, feigning hurt. “Excuse me?! How dare?!?!”

Virgil laughed, opening the case he had been clinging to so protectively. Inside was a sleek tablet with a detachable keyboard. He set it on his lap admiringly. Logan’s landlord had refunded them a few months of prepaid rent when they moved out of the apartment, and Logan decided that the money should go towards Virgil’s new interest in music. So, as a start, he bought Virgil a tablet and some new bluetooth headphones. They set it up together and downloaded programs for writing music, listening to different instruments, remixing, adding sound effects, ect. Virgil couldn’t have asked for more. Of course, the tablet had immediately become his most valuable possession, so it hadn’t left his side since they set it up. Virgil reverently turned the tablet on, slipping a stylus out of the pocket of his case. “Logan got this for me. I’m going to write music!”

“Really? That’s amazing!” Roman moved closer to watch as Virgil began testing out all the new programs. This really was cool.

Logan finished putting his things in the guest room, smiling gratefully at Patton. “You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you.”

Patton laughed and smiled. “Don’t mention it! It’s the least I could do.” He kissed Logan’s cheek, causing the slightly taller man to blush. “So… music, huh?”

Logan chuckled. “I’ve always had an interest in music. I played the clarinet in high school.”

Patton gasped. “Really?! I would’ve thought you were more of a flute or violin player… but that’s neat, amor!”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Amor?”

Patton blushed. “I guess Roman is rubbing off on me, haha! ‘Amor’ is Spanish for ‘love.’”

Now it was Logan’s turn to blush. Gently, he kissed the top of Patton’s head. “You’re adorable,” he mumbled, smiling as Patton giggled.

“Excuse me?! How dare?!?!”

Patton sighed. “Sounds like Virgil and Roman are getting along as well as ever.”

Logan chuckled. “Sounds like it. Come on, let me make you lunch. It’s the least I can do.” He didn’t fail to notice how delightfully domestic the whole day felt. He never saw himself as a stay-at-home-boyfriend, but… this wasn’t so bad.

 

Patton was delighted by the new routine they settled in to. Logan woke up early to make coffee and breakfast. Virgil settled on the couch and opened his tablet. Patton got up and ate breakfast, accompanied by Roman’s extravagant ‘good morning citizens!’ and Virgil’s snarky ‘what makes it so good?’ that always resulted in some playful banter. Patton would get ready for work, Logan would make a chore list and run it over with Patton to confirm that he had remembered everything he needed to get done. He always did, he was very good like that. Then Patton would leave for work.

Logan liked the new routine, too. Patton wouldn’t let him pay rent, so he paid him back with little things, like cooking and doing laundry. Virgil would sit on the couch and Logan would sit in a desk chair with his clarinet. They would talk music, listening to other pieces and working on some of their own. Virgil liked to sing, so they put lyrics to the music as well. Dinner would be almost ready by the time Patton got home, and Virgil would shyly ask Roman for advice on his lyrics. They would eat dinner around the table, discussing the days they had. Patton would turn on a TV show afterwards, and everyone would migrate to the living room. Logan would sit and read, Virgil would listen to music and browse the web, Roman would paint at the desk, and Patton would cuddle up to Logan and watch TV. Patton never thought he would be so content in a routine, but he was. And he loved listening to Logan and Virgil’s music! It felt like nothing could touch them. They floated by in their own paradise. Everything was perfect…

...until it wasn’t.

“WHAT DO YOU KNOW, PRINCEY?!”

“APPARENTLY MORE THAN YOU, CREEPY COOKIE!”

“WHICH ONE OF US HERE IS A MUSICIAN?!”

“JUST BECAUSE YOU CALL YOURSELF THAT DOESN’T MAKE IT TRUE!!”

“I HATE YOU!”

“WELL I HATE YOU!!”

Doors slammed, Logan held Patton close to him and sighed. Virgil and Roman were fighting again, worse than before. Virgil had turned to a more indie style of music, with darker and more depressing themes. He had written a lyric about the foolishness of fairy tale princes, and Roman had taken personal offence. They had been fighting ever since, and it was exhausting for everyone. “I’m sorry, Patton…”

Patton snuggled deeper into Logan’s arms. “Sorry for what? It’s those two that can’t communicate…”

Logan sighed. “I don’t know. I just feel responsible for Virgil.”

Patton shook his head. “I know that technically they’re a part of us. But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t their own people, too. They have needs and wants and private thoughts, so we should allow them to work out their own problems.”

Logan thought about it, then nodded. “You’re right.”

 

Virgil punched a pillow, frustrated. “That… that… barmecide*!” He didn’t mean it, but it felt good to swear. He grabbed his tablet and stylus, deciding he was going to settle this once and for all. He began writing, pouring everything he had into this song. He downloaded sound clips (mostly legally), rearranged them and put them together into the music he wanted. He sang softly as he wrote the lyrics, smiling. This was going to be one for the history books!

A few hours later, Virgil cracked his door open. He wanted Roman to hear this. He cranked his speakers up, grabbing his cheap bluetooth mic and playing the accompaniment. He jumped up on the bed in rage filled excitement, singing loudly enough that the whole apartment building could probably hear.

‘You whine and you moan and you whimper and groan  
Just because things don’t go your way!  
You smile and wave, think I’m some damsel to sa-ave!  
Do I have permission to have a good day?!

You’re a classic fairy tale prince!  
News flash! You’re not any prince of mine!  
You try to be a hero!  
News flash! You’re no hero of mine!  
And I don’t care!  
If you don’t want to hear it!  
You, you you you!  
You’re!  
Not!  
Flawless!’

Roman stormed into his room, looking furious. Virgil smiled. Good. He kept going, despite the look on Roman’s face.

‘You walk with your nose in the air like a snob  
Don’t talk with a spoon in your mouth!  
You smile and wave, think I’m some game you can pla-ay!  
Well your whole life is about to go south!

You’re a classic fairy tale prince!  
News flash! You’re not any prince of mine!  
You try to be a hero!  
News flash! You’re no hero of mine!  
And I don’t care!  
If you don’t want to hear it!  
You, you you you!  
You’re!  
Not!  
Flawless!’

Virgil jumped off the bed and walked up to Roman. He was trying to glare, but it was hard to do so past his tears. Wait, was he crying? Why was he crying?

‘You think that the world has to bend to your will  
I must obey you or I must lie still  
You think that ev’rything I do is about you  
Well news flash!  
I have other interests, too!’

Virgil’s voice got softer, almost disappearing into the blaring music. He couldn’t stop crying, he missed Roman so much, why was he just standing there?! He should be yelling, fighting! Why was Roman letting him finish?!?

‘You’re a classic fairy tale prince!  
News flash! You’re not any prince of mine!  
You try to be a hero!  
News flash! You’re no hero of mine!  
…’

Virgil took a few deep breaths. He was still mad. Fine, if Roman didn’t want to fight back, he would just have to listen!

‘You’re a classic fairy tale prince!  
News flash! You’re not any prince of mine!  
You try to be a hero!  
News flash! You’re no hero of mine!  
And I don’t care!  
If you don’t want to hear it!  
You, you you you!  
You’re not flawless!  
You’re not perfect!  
The world doesn’t revolve around you!  
I’m not sorry!  
I can’t care less!  
I’m not always thinking about you!  
You…  
You, you, you!  
You’re!  
Not!  
Flawless!’

Virgil took a deep breath as the music faded out, leaving a deafening silence. He looked Roman in the eye, choking back tears. “Well? Are you going to say something or just stand there like an idiot?” All the anger had drained from Roman’s face, Virgil couldn’t read him. It was honestly starting to freak Virgil out. The last thing he expected was for Roman to pull him into a hug.

“I’m so sorry, mi hermoso estrella, I had no idea you felt that way…” Roman kissed Virgil’s cheek. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have assumed anything, I shouldn’t have taken it personally. I don’t think I’m perfect, but… I have been riding a rather high horse lately. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

As Virgil pulled away, he noticed Roman was crying, too. He dove right back into his arms, hugging tightly. “I forgive you, knucklehead.” Roman chuckled through his tears and rest his head on top of Virgil’s. They stayed like that for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *barmecide: (adj.) illusionary or imaginary and therefore disappointing  
> I got that word from the comments of the last chapter about my hiatus! Unfortunately, I deleted the chapter and lost the comments before I could properly credit the person who gave me the idea... sorry! In this world, barmecide is an insult towards imirages basically meaning 'a liar and a disappointment.' It's considered swearing to call an imirage that. As always, tell me if anything needs to be tagged or if there are any typos! Thank you guys!
> 
> (Also, sorry if this fic in general is moving a little fast.)


	13. A Day in the Life of an Imaginary Drama Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I'm alive! This is exactly as the title says- a day from Roman's point of view. Pure domestic fluff right here.  
> This chapter is a short one, but I figured it didn't matter. I hope y'all enjoy!

Roman swung his sword, cutting back grass as he trudged through the swamp in pursuit of a dangerous Naga. The air was thick with humidity and tension. Any moment now, the slippery half-snake could jump out and-

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Roman groaned as Patton jolted awake. Of course, his immensely creative dreams were always interrupted at the best parts! "Patton, just a few more minutes? Please? You're almost never late to work, five more minutes wouldn't hurt!"

Patton laughed a bit and shook his head. "Sorry, Ro, but I need to get to work. We'll just have to wait for this evening.

Roman sighed, watching as Patton got up and started getting ready for the day. He could hear Logan and Virgil getting up not long after. Well, he might've been a little irritated that his dream was cut off, but seeing Virgil always brightened his day! He looked in the mirror, making sure he had his usual princely glamour, before running into the living room. He waited a few minutes before breaking into a smile. There he was; the dark prince of his dreams! He looked enchanting as always, dark hair falling so delicately into his face, gracefully shy posture, and- wait a moment. Where was that rare, enchanting smile? This wouldn't do! "Virgil! Love of my life, key to my heart! Every night we're apart is the longest of my life, seeing you in the morning is my greatest joy!" Ah, there was that smile, although... A little subdued. No matter! Roman's own smile brightened as he swept Virgil into his arms, kissing him gently before hugging him tight. 

Virgil blushed, pushing Roman away and rolling his eyes. "Good morning to you too, Ro."

To anyone else, he would sound annoyed, but Roman knew better. His adorable shadowling was playing hard to get, as always. "You know you love me." He winked, adoring the soft blush and small smile playing at Virgil's lips.

"Time to go, Roman!"

Oh, what a cruel mistress time was! Roman turned to Patton, definitely not whining. No, he was protesting with honor! "But Patton! Can't we spend a few more minutes with Virgil and Logan?"

Speaking of Logan, there was the joy of Patton's life now, sipping a cup of coffee and kissing Patton's cheek. "I must remind you that there's a sale going on, and you promised to open the doors for a coworker who was sick."

Patton nodded, giving Roman a pointed look. Roman sighed. "It would be dishonorable if we broke our promise. Very well! Farewell Logan. I will return, Virgil. Try not to miss me too much."

"Just get your butt in gear, Prince Procrastinating."

 

 Roman sat in the store room, bored. He hated sales! Patton was so busy, and Roman didn't even get to help anymore. Patton's manager said he was 'too much for the customers to tolerate', whatever that meant. So Roman wasn't allowed to interact with customers, and on busy days, he was confined! Trapped! Wrongfully imprisoned! And Patton didn't even have time to come check on him. He wished they had stayed home. He missed Virgil during the work week. He made the unpleasant moments bearable. However, he wasn't completely without anything to do. Patton, as suggested by Logan, had left him with an alternate activity. He had given Roman three whole pallets of watercolor, and two pads of watercolor paper. Roman enjoyed painting, but he wasn't feeling particularly inspired at the moment. He looked around, thinking. Then, he smiled. If he was going to be locked up back here, what was the harm in exploring? And by exploring, he meant going through the boxes of returns and seeing what slightly damaged but beautiful clothes he could find. 

For a while, Roman found very few things of interest. A pretty red coat with a broken zipper, a few pairs of high heels that hadn't fit the person who bought them, and some jewelry returned for one reason or another. However, nothing could've prepared him for what he found on the rack of returned dresses. After looking over a few pretty but not exactly spectacular dresses, Roman came across a gorgeous dress. He couldn't fathom why anyone would return it. It was a golden prom dress, with a long, poofy skirt and elegant designs. It hadn't even been taken out of the bag before it was returned. This would not do! Roman gently took the dress, laying it out over a few boxes. At first he only wanted to look at it, but... It was a crime to leave such an elegant gown laying out, neglected! Roman adjusted his imaginary figure just so, then slipped the dress on. He felt  _amazing._ The dress made him feel like a princess, waiting to dance with a prince at the ball. He twirled around the store room, imagining a graceful waltz, played by the most skilled orchestra in all the land, in the most beautiful ball room in the kingdom! He imagined turning to his prince, a light blush dusting his cheeks. Virgil. In his mind's eye, Virgil smiled and bowed as Roman curtsied. He told Roman his dress was beautiful, but could never match Roman's natural beauty. He imagined them dancing through the night.

Roman sighed happily, sitting on the floor as he let the daydream take over. Curious, he tried imagining Virgil in a dress. He imagined the way the skirt would fall gracefully to the floor. Virgil would be shy, unused to having his shoulders and collarbone exposed, vulnerable to the cold breeze, or the intimate warmth of Roman's body as they danced close together. Roman blushed, suddenly rushing to grab his paints. He had to capture this image before he lost it!

Roman stepped back from his painting as he finished it, still in the lovely prom dress. He was reluctant to take it off, but he knew it had to go back to the returns rack. It was undamaged, maybe it would be sold on clearance. Maybe someone would find it and fall in love with it, wearing it and giving it the debut it deserved. Roman carefully put the dress back, returning to his normal princely appearance. He smiled to himself, looking at his newest watercolor masterpiece. He knew exactly what to do with it. He only hoped Virgil liked it.

 

Patton came to the store room after work. Roman noted how exhausted he was. "Patton! Finally! Is it time to go home?"

Patton nodded. "Yep, time to go. You weren't too bored back here, were you?"

Roman smiled to himself, thinking of the fantasies he'd been entertaining all day. "No, I was fine. I have a new watercolor, too." He carefully picked up a cardboard case he made from boxes out of the recycling. He wanted to make sure the paper wouldn't be lost or bent, and he wanted it to be a surprise for Virgil. 

Patton smiled. "Alright! I'm happy this worked out, Ro. I know you would rather be working in the store with me... but I think this is for the best." He gently put a hand on Roman's shoulder, then started walking towards the door with him. "Come on. Let's go home."

 

When Patton and Roman got home, they were immediately greeted by Logan. Roman slipped by as Patton tried to kiss him and began telling him all about his day. He was in search of someone much more important. Not in the living room, or the kitchen... He heard a soft melody from Logan's room. Roman rushed to the bedroom, heart beating fast. "Virgil!"

Virgil tensed, then relaxed as Roman rushed up and hugged him. Roman smiled brightly at his angel, blushing. Virgil noticed the cardboard he was holding, tilting his head slightly. "So, whatcha got there?"

Roman suddenly felt as if the world had frozen. He felt trapped, flighty. What if Virgil didn't like it? Roman wasn't a master painter, what if it wasn't good enough? Nothing was good enough for his perfect prince... He took a deep breath, smiling shyly as he gave offered it to Virgil. "I, um, painted something for you..." He quieted the doubts in his mind. After all, what if he did like it? It would be worth the joy he brought to his lover!

Virgil looked surprised, then gently took the case. "Oh... Th-that's really sweet." He blushed gently, carefully pulling out the paper. His breath caught in his throat as he saw what Roman had made for him. Roman had painted the two of them together, dancing. They were in elegant dresses, their skirts flowing around each other as they danced, laughing without a care in the world. Virgil could feel Roman's fantasy, see it bleeding through the page. His voice came out as a soft, awestruck whisper. "Oh, Roman... this is beautiful."

Roman blushed, smiling shyly. "Thank you. I... I'm really glad you like it." He looked down, insecurity hitting him like the tail of a dragon. "It's not the best, a-and I did make a few mistakes, my paints bled together in a couple pla-" He was suddenly cut off as Virgil pulled him into a searing kiss. Roman's eyes widened before fluttering closed as he relaxed into the kiss.

Virgil gentled, carefully setting the picture aside and pulling Roman into his arms. "It's amazing, Roman. I've never seen anyone paint like you. And... I'm so touched by the way you paint me. I can't tell you how happy you've made me. I love you."

Roman gently wrapped his arms around Virgil, sighing gently as he rest his head on his shoulder. This was the best part of his day. Nothing else mattered to him. When Virgil was happy, when he was smiling, when he knew he was loved... the feeling it gave him couldn't be described in more than three words. "I love you."

"I... I love you, too."

Roman frowned. His voice... "Virgil, are you crying?" He pulled away, properly facing his beloved ball of anxiety. He  _was_ crying! "What's wrong?"

Virgil shook his head. "Nothing, I... I'm just so touched..." 

Roman smiled fondly. "Oh... My delicate flower." He pulled Virgil back into his arms. "I'm glad you like it."

 

Virgil clung to Roman, crying softly. He felt so terrible. Roman seemed so nice. He hated lying to him this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a while, hasn't it? Thanks for sticking around and continuing to support the fic in my absence. Life has been getting in the way lately, but today I was free of other obligations and decided to revisit an old idea of mine. However, I have no idea how to proceed with this. The main conflict has been resolved. So, if you have any prompts you want to see in this universe, leave them in the comments and I'll do my best to dedicate a chapter to each prompt!
> 
> Roman's gold prom dress- https://www.amyprom.com/products/a-line-ball-gowns-sweetheart-gold-prom-dress-evening-dress-sky895
> 
> Virgil's purple ball gown- http://www.victoriaprom.com/p/Formal-Purple-Ball-Gowns-Long-Taffeta-Sweetheart-Corset-Prom-Dress_1238/


	14. IMPORTANT

BEFORE I POST THE NEXT CHAPTER!

The next chapter has some strong language, is not as fluffy as you think it's going to be, and is about to throw this entire thing in its head. Chapter will be posted tomorrow, remember to check the tags! I'll also put trigger warnings in the chapter summary! There was something going on in the last chapter that I don't think anyone caught on to. I might go back and edit to make it a little more obvious, see if anyone catches on. Anyway, stay safe! Love you all for your support! 

~February


	15. A Day in the Life of the Man Living With Patton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brace yourselves, not everything is as it seems.  
> Trigger warnings for this chapter: identify theft, kidnapping, abuse.

Logan woke up to his alarm with a sigh, rubbing his eyes. "Imirage, materialize. You need to entertain that other barmecide." He eyed Virgil disapprovingly. Purple had always been his least favorite color. "Brighten up or I'll starve you. Now it's time to get to work." He shoved Virgil out of the room so he could get dressed. 

A few minutes later, Logan walked out, interjecting himself into the conversation. "I must remind you that there's a sale going on, and you promised to open the doors for a coworker who was sick." He kissed Patton's cheek, trying not to gag. He hated this, but at least the other two were out the door soon. Now it was time to get to work.

'Logan" sat on the couch, pulling up police reports on his laptop. There was still a warrant out for Daniel Ceit's arrest, but the official search had stopped. Now all he needed to do was lay low for a while... And maybe make some money while he's at it. He needed to make up for the cosmetic surgery, after all. "Hey, barmecide! Where is my god damn breakfast?! And don't forget to feed Logan!"

Daniel lit a cigarette, watching his nervous imirage run around as he ordered him to do this and that. When he was tired of that, he simply beat it up and sent it to the bedroom. This was nice, but he dreaded Patton coming home. Maybe Patton needed to... disappear. But not before he had access to Patton's bank accounts. Daniel chuckled to himself as he came up with a plan, going online and ordering a ring.

 

Later that evening, Daniel greeted Patton at the door, deflecting his kiss. "Sorry, I have a cold. I don't want you to catch it."

Patton, gullible Patton, smiled understandingly. "That's very thoughtful, Logan. Is... Is there something burning?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, but something was burned earlier. Virgil was trying a new recipe, and it didn't go so well."

Patton laughed a little, soaking up that domestic story like the naive idiot he was. "Aw, well I'm proud he tried! We'll just air out the apartment. So, what's your thoughts on dinner?"

 

Daniel laid on Logan's bed with a sigh, taking off the fake glasses. If there was one thing Patton was good for, it was his cooking. 'Virgil' was still sitting at Logan's desk, holding the picture Roman gave him almost reverently. He looked upset, but Daniel didn't really care. Unfortunately, the imaginary thorn in his side decided to speak. "D, we can't do this. This is wrong. These two are so in love, I... I can't keep pretending..."

Daniel glared at him, then grabbed him by the hair and dragged him to the floor. "Listen to me, you useless waste of space. If I didn't need you, I would kill you. You do not decide what is and is not right. And you do not get to feel attached to anything." He stood up, grabbing the picture. The imirage watched in horror as Daniel tore the beautiful watercolor dancers to shreds. "Now go away. I don't even want to look at you."

 

In the closet, Logan cried softly, tied up to a chair. Virgil tried to comfort him, but they didn't dare make any noise. They couldn't do anything. They had to stay quiet, or Daniel would take their loved ones from them. Virgil took a deep breath as he held Logan. He would have to take this into his own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry but at the same time I'm not sorry. I am sorry this chapter is short, but I can post short chapters more often.


	16. The Imaginary Switch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day!! Whoa!! (They're really short, so it's not much to be excited about.) Let's get this mess sorted out, yeah?

It was dark here. Quiet. Deep inside an evil man's mind, his imirage sought out peace, hiding from nightmares of his own creation. While Daniel was asleep, he came here, hiding away in the still, calm corner of the mind where the conciousness teetered on the edge of fantasy and reality. He wasn't sure if he could go anywhere else if he tried. He'd spent so much time there he'd forgotten his name, forgotten what his original form had been. Here he didn't need to worry about that. He just... was. And then he was awake.

Pain went through him as he was ripped from his sanctuary, forced into an unnatural form that he barely had the energy to maintain. Daniel glared at him. "Today's the day, barmecide. Don't screw it up for me."

'Virgil' nodded quickly. "I'll be on my best behavior!"

"Did I say you could speak? Now go entertain Roman." Daniel waved him off. Not-Virgil cast a wary glance at the closet before going to the living room.

And there they were. Patton, the kind, paternal man that talked him out of a panic attack when he first arrived and started pretending. Roman, who treated him like a prince every time he saw him, who was directing his love to the wrong person. He wanted to cry just from seeing them, just knowing the horrible things that were going on behind the scenes. Roman looked up, and- oh no, why was he looking at him that way?! No, no he shouldn't be worried! 'Virgil' tried to force himself to smile, but to no avail. Roman came and held his hands. "Darling? Hey, breathe... What's wrong?"

 _I'm not your darling_. "L-logan had a nightmare, I just..." _I'm part of a terrible person_. "I'm having a hard time focusing on anything else." _Run while you still can!_ "I just watched too many conspiracy videos."

Roman, damn him, accepted his excuse with a gentle smile. "It's alright. I have all day to cheer you up!"

The unwilling imposter forced himself to smile. "That sounds nice." It sounded like agony. "I'm just going to finish some work on my latest song, I'll be right back, okay?"

 

Not-Virgil went back to Logan's room and sat on the bed, staring at the closet. He couldn't do this anymore. He was tired of being Daniel's pawn. Roman and Virgil were their own individuals, despite being tethered to Patton and Logan. Well... He was tired of being Daniel's tool. He marched over to the closet and opened the door.

Virgil looked up, scowling at the nearly identical figure. "Here with breakfast?"

Not-Virgil shook his head. "No. I have something else in mind. We're getting rid of Daniel." He slipped into the closet, pushing Virgil out. "You know Roman better than anyone. You're going to get him to suggest to Patton that something's wrong. Daniel can't hurt you, and... and you can keep things from him. I can't."

Virgil stared at the other imirage, shocked. "But... Y-you're already sick. You can't stay in here all day."

Not-Virgil nodded. "Yes I can. I... I've gotten a lot better, since I've started listening to your music and hanging around Roman. And... If I die, it'll make it impossible for Daniel to get away with this. Either way, you win. I'm tired of standing by while Daniel torments innocent people. Please... save your family."

Virgil simply stood in silence for a moment. Then, he hugged Not-Virgil tightly. "Thank you." With that, he shut the closet door and left Logan and his double alone.

 

When Virgil got to the living room, he was almost tackled by Roman. "Whoa-!" His own heart soared just from seeing Roman, but he couldn't celebrate just yet. He kissed him, then laughed nervously. "What's going on?"

"Virgil!" Patton caught Virgil's attention from the living room. The man was in Logan- no, Damien's arms, showing off a ring. "Logan and I are getting married! We're going to be together forever!"

Virgil felt weak. "Wow... That... That's amazing! I'm so happy!"

Well... shit. How was he supposed to convince Patton and Roman something was wrong now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW the last chapter got a basket of mixed responses. In any case, I'm happy for your feedback. Some people have been asking how long this has been going on- the kidnapping happened just after the chapter where Virgil writes a really angry song.


	17. Dramatic Nerd Refuses to Wear Dramatic Makeup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Writing is haaaaaard. I'm exhausted from writing. What do I do? Write something. 
> 
> This is a short scene that happened between Logan the unofficial coffee shop date and Logan and Patton's first official date.

"No."

"C'mon, specs."

"Absolutely not."

"It's just a little makeup."

"It's _absurd_." Logan shut his laptop as he looked up at Virgil. The imirage had been trying to convince Logan all day to let him try out an old eyeshadow palette he'd found. "I don't even know where you got that, because it certainly isn't mine."

Virgil rolled his eyes. "You used to think my makeup was cool."

"I must've been going through a phase where I was interested in raccoons." He stood up, making sure his laptop was plugged in before going into the kitchen. He silently prayed that would be the end of it and Virgil wouldn't follow him...

Guess what? He followed him.

"I'm not gonna make you look like a raccoon!" Virgil sat on the kitchen counter while Logan brewed some coffee. "Look, it's blue. You like the color blue, don't you? Worst case scenario you don't like it and wipe it off." Actually, the worst case scenario was that Logan had an allergic reaction and died, but that wasn't important. "Just try it."

Logan sighed in relief as he poured a cup of coffee, the smell making him anticipate the rush of caffeine. "No. That's final."

***~~~~~*~~~~~***

The next morning, Logan woke up confused. It took him a moment to process why he was confused. Ah. His whole face itched, and there was a smudge of blue on his pillow. He put his glasses on to see it better, and his hand came away a different shade of blue. Next to the bed was an eyeshadow palette, more than half of it gone with how much had been used. He got up and looked in the bathroom mirror.

 

 

 

"VIRGIL!"

 


	19. Concerning What the Hell I am Doing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am unsatisfied. Let me explain.

So I absolutely love this idea I came up with. But the thing is... I'm not happy with the way I executed it. I don't know why I didn't just call them 'mirages'. The plot is overly tropey and all over the place. It's too fast paced, the characters don't have the depth I want, and I don't know where the hell I'm going with all these rushed plot twists. I do want to take a similar approach to the plot, but I want to rewrite it. I'm gonna leave this version up, mostly for reference but also for everyone that likes the original version. Hell, I might even come back and tie up loose ends from that last cruel cliffhanger. The thing is... I stopped enjoying what I was writing, and it shows. I've advanced a lot since I started, and this isn't my best work. I want to put forward the best I can give, and I want to do it well, but all the borrowed tropes and outrageous plot twists and too-fast moving relationships... I honestly feel like this is the worst piece of writing I've made public so far! It's not too bad, but it could be better.

So, in summary, I'm going to rewrite this fic. Consider it an alternate universe, a variation on my original idea. The pace will be slower, relationships will develop naturally, and the story will be richer. After all, every idea needs to go through several drafts.

As always, my update schedule is going to be inconsistent, no matter how many times I try to say I'm going to do better! It's just not happening. Life gets in the way. But! When I have the first chapter of the revised fic, I'll notify you guys here. Thanks for sticking with me, even though I kinda forgot what I was doing part way through! 

I wouldn't really call this development "life giving me lemons"... More like life giving me grapes and telling me to make raspberry Kool-aid. (BTW, have you ever super saturated Kool-aid with sugar? Hard core stuff. I was sick for a week, after I stopped vibrating.) I've pulled off worse. Let's put it in the blender and see what happens!


	20. AND NOW FOR YOUR FEATURED PRESENTATION

IT IS DONE! Well, the first chapter, at least. _Could You Imagine; The Rewrite_ is up under my works now! Lots of thanks to confinesofpersonalknowledge for beta reading for me and helping me with some of my writer's block! And thank you to all of my lovely readers who have stuck with me this far, despite my disastrous update schedule and the difficulties I've had writing this. 

[Click here to go to the first chapter of the rewrite!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17545709/chapters/41345516)

[Click here to just see a cute video of some dogs for your time!](https://youtu.be/Ce7hJ24a8yM)

I hope you all have wonderful days!


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